Getting Fit Can Be Good For Biz
Healthy habits. That’s what I’m here to talk about today. The February doldrums are upon us and I’m in need of a pep talk, so I figured you might be too.
The topic of this pep talk is not healthy work habits but healthy exercise habits. Getting fit. Staying fit. And fitting that into your work life.
For those of us who are self-employed and work at home, this should be easy. We’ve got the freedom to exercise whenever and wherever we choose. In theory. The reality of self-employment is often this: You work intensively and put in long hours, and it can seem impossible to find time for fitness.
Chris Gillis, a web designer, is one of those for whom exercise is not an issue. “It’s just part of my life,” Gillis said. “I use it as a way to get away from work.”
Gillis works out at least three times a week, even when business is at a peak. During the depths of winter, he swims at a local health club before work. Once daylight-saving time starts, he’s apt to knock off work early to surf the Outer Cape beaches.
It was about five years ago, after Gillis left the corporate world behind, that exercise became part of his routine. “When you have your own business, if you show up to work at 9:15 it’s not a huge deal. When you work for a corporation, for some reason it is a huge deal,” said Gillis.
We’ve all read about the physical benefits of regular fitness, but there are business benefits too. Exercise has been found to reduce stress and anxiety, boost your energy and help you think more clearly. Who knows? Those could give you precisely the edge your business needs.
Photo by pnijhuis.
Jim O'Donnell on February 15th, 2008 7:20 am
Dane…I hope your readers pay close attention to this advice. I was just talking to a student the other day who has built an outstanding sharpening business, but at the expense of his health. He kept his full-time job as he worked on his growing his business up until he could quit. He reached his goal, but after too many 12 hour days and too much fast food to go, he’s realizing he should have paid as much attention to his body as his new business. He’s now started an exercise program to fix what is broken, but it would have been far better if he had watched his health along the way. Good topic!
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